Abramoffukkah Comes to Montana

Over at The Fix, Chris Cillizza is reporting on recent polling that shows the Senate race between incumbent Republican Conrad Burns and his likely opponents is tightening.

Head-to-head matchups between Burns and his two main Democratic adversaries have narrowed since Mason-Dixon last polled in the state in May. Burns leads state Auditor John Morrison (D) 46 percent to 40 percent, down considerably from the 49 percent to 35 percent lead the senator held in May. Burns carried a more comfortable 49 percent to 35 percent edge over state Senate president Jon Tester (D), though that margin too has shrunk from the 24-point bulge Burns held in May.

Explain? The key may be scandal-fountain Jack Abramoff. Burn’s connections to Abramoff have Montana voters feeling dodgy: 58% of those polled cited Abramoff as a concern, while 38% remain unfazed.

We couldn’t help but notice that Montana showed up on Chuck Schumer’s list of Senate seats he thinks the Dems can take in 2006. That’s the miracle of Abramoffukkah: just as one day’s worth of oil held out for eight crazy nights, the Democrats once again believe they’ve got a win-by-default strategy that’ll last them through an election year. — DCEIVER